Internal-combustion engine



March 20, 1928. 1,662,908

H. P. STEVENS INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINE Filed April s, 1927 2 sheets-Sheet 1 3313 hw HW March 20, 1928.

||.d P. sTEvENs INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April, 8, 1927 Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES HABBY r. srrEvENs,

or NEW YORK, N. Y.

- INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application mea April a,

This invention relates to internal combustion engines andV more particularly to the construction of such engines having `rotary disk valves for controlling the openlng and closing of the intake and the exhaust ports. r1`wo types of construction for such engines are disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 1,249,235 and 1,385,099. Inv engines of greater power 4thanthe usual automobile engines or thoseup to sevf eral hundred' horse power, it is possible that the disk valves may be displacedand the shaft connecting the valves may be distorted by the forces exerted by the compression and explosion ofthe gases inthe cylinders, owing to the highl pressures acting upon those portions ofthe valves exposed, at at the intake andexhaust ports. The pres sure of ,the gas in the cylinder tends to force the lower. portiQns of the `valves outward from the cylinder and to `bring the upper portions of the valves toward each other, thus causing the connecting shaft to be distorted. y

If the upper portions of the valves are held positivelyat a fixed distance from each other, the valves will remain parallel f to each other and the tendency to distort the valveshaft will be prevented.

The principal' object of the present invention, therefore, is to providemeans for maintaining the upper portions of the 'rotary disk valves atv a fixed distance from each other. v

`apparent to those skilled in the art yfrom the followinghdescription. M invention will `be more fully understood from the following'description taken in connection `with the accompanying drawings which illustratea preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of two cylinders of an internal combustion engine showing one of the cylinders broken away and partly in cross-section; v

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and- Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe engine with a portion of the engine being broken away and a cross-,section being taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modification. In the drawings the numeral 1 indicates the cylinder section or portion of an engine,

. the ports.

1927. serial ira-182,044.

provided at yits upper end with the usual chambers for Water cooling and adapted kto have the pistons 2 reciprocate therein. VThe numeral 3 indicates the compression or combustion chamber section or portion of the engine upon which is mounted the intake manifold 4, and in which the spark plugs 5 are carried. This section 3 is `likewise provided with water cooling `chambers as illustrated.y The numeral 6 indicates the 4uppersection or portion of thevalve housing which is also water cooled as indicated.

'lhese three sections of the engine are preferably cast as separate rintegral pieces and are connected together by `means of the bolts 7. All of the chambers for the cooling water lmay enter at one point as through the Vwater are connected together so that the"v pipe Sand may be withdrawn from the up-y y per portions of the water vchambers ,by means Yof the outlet pipe 8 connected with. the water jackets as shown.

The combustion chamber section 3 is formed with inlet ports 9 and exhaust ports 10 located as is best illustrated in Fig.l 2. Section 3 is also provided on` eachside of the combustion chamber with narrow recesses in which -therotary disk valves 11 re' volve. lThese vrecesses are of such width that they contain the valves with several thousandths ofan inch clearance sothat they do not retard the rotationvthereof. As describedin my prior patents, these disk valves have an'opening 12 through which the gases Further objectsof the'invention will be flowing .into and out of the cylinder may pass when the opening is in alignment with 1 The two ydisk valves associated with any cylinder are preferably connected together as shown in Fig. l, by means ofa hollow'shaft 18 which is'preferably integral therewith; A solid` shaft 14 is positioned within the hollow shaft 13 and is connected thereto by means of a pin 15.k The hollow shaft 13v may extend substantially the entire length ofthe engine or, if desired, ity

may extend for only the length of one cylinder in which case the several shafts may be connected together by meansr well known in the art, as, for example, by means of a lug and a correspondingly shaped recess as shown in my prior Patent No. 1,385,099.

The solid shaft 14 may be caused to rotate' in any suitable way such as being geared orV otherwise connected with the main crank shaft of the engine.

In order to conduct heat away from the valves the Walls of the upper valve housing 6 are preferably in close proximity to, but do not touch the valves 11.

The upper ends of the rotary disk valves 1'9 are located inthe center of each of these interconnected recesses and may bey-and refera'bly are, `formed integral WithA the lock 16. Rollers or disk Wheels 2() are placed upon "thel-'piiis 1`9and are free t0 ro- Atate thereon. The rollersQO are preferably fmadefofsteelor of the samefmaterial as the valves 11,- and are of such size that `they l'contact with the inner faces ofthe valves 1l @and with each other as shown in the drawl ings. The position of these rollers`20 is such thatfthey Contact 'with the valves 11 along circular lines *located outside ofthe opening`12 in the valves.` By placing the "rollers 2O in* this lposition they `do not pass over theedges of the opening 12 in the valves Qand consequently do not injure these edges which would result in leakage of the gases.

\ The recess 17 is covered by a plate 21 -fastened to the upper valve section 6 by means of the bolts 252,.` `The cover plate 21 is of suflcientthickness to keep the disk rollers in position on` their bearing studs 19. f My invention also contemplates the use ofa plurality of sets of spacing rollers 24 slightly separated from each other to give additional bearing points on the valves, `as

Vshown in Fig.` 4.

" i In order to prevent leakage of the high pressure gases frointhe combustion cham- *,ber, metallic packing rings 23 are employed.`

:These packing rings may be `of any suitable "design but, preferably, they are of the construction described inmy prior Patent No. i

WhileI have described my invention as `adapted'toibe used inconneotion with the "type of` engine`construction illustrated in xthe drawings anddescribed therein, I Wish `it to be understood that my invention may ibe readily used in'engines of other constructions, such as, `for example, the engine described in my prior Patent No.1,385,099.

Havingthusdescribed this form of my invention, I'Wish it to be understood that various changes'may be made by those rskilledY in the art Without departing from the spirt and scope of my invention,

What I claim and `desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination `With rotary disk valves, Vof devicesfoifpieventing displacement of' said valves comprising, rotary means in contact with said valves at points opposite the intake and exhaustports relative to the axes of rotation of said valves. n

-`-2. In-lanfinternal cembustiionffengine, the comhiiiationvvith rotarydisk valves, of devices forpreventing displacement "of said "valves "comprising, antiiiriction lbeariri meansinfcontact with the `inner surfaces fo said valves at pointsopposite the .intake and exhaust` orts relative 'tottheiaxesofrotation of sai valves.` y i 3.' In an internal `combustion engine, the

'combination `with rotary disk valves-having openings therein, lof ydevices for preventing displacementof said valvesccmprisingfantitriction mea-iis in contact withrsaid valves beyond `the outer "edge of said openings.

4. In an internal combustion" engine, the` 'combinationwith rotary disk valves having 4openings therein, of means for `preventing displacement of said valves comprising, ro-

tary disks in lContact with each other-"and in Contact VWith said 'valvesbeyondlthe outery edge of said openings.

`5; In an internal-combustion engine, the

combination with rotary `diskvalves oneach side of the cylinders, of means for preventing displacement ofs'aid valves comprising, a slidable `niember,di`sks rotatahlyfmounted on said member andadapted to contact with said valves. l

6. In an internalcombustion engine, the

combination `with rotary=disk *valves on each side of `the cylinders, of means forl preventing displacement offsaid` valves, xcoinpri'sin a slidable member positioned above the `cyil'- inder and between said valves, .disks rotat- .ablyimounted onsaid member-and adapted to 4contactvvith each :other `and -withsaid valves. o

7. rInjan internalcoinbustion engine, the combination with rotary disk valves on `either side of the cylinders, saidvalves-having openings therein, of-means'forpreventing displacement of said valves, comprisin a lslidable member positioned above thecy inder and between said valves, disks rotatably mountedon saidl member-and adaptedto contact With each othervaiid withwsaid valvesbeyond the outer `edge of saidopening. p

Signed Yat New York,ifthis 6thY day of April, i927.

HARRY r. STEVENS. 

